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= WILLIAM HENRY GARD, C.B. , M.V.O. , M.Inst.N.A. , R.C.N.C. (1854 - 1936) = William Henry Gard was an English chief constuctor, engineer and ship designer for the British Admiralty and Navy. The following text is an obituary from of a booklet published upon his death in 1936, at the age of 82 by The Shipbuilder publication.

"An Appreciation by an Old Comrade.

The British Navy, 1885 to 1925, owed much to the work of a distinguished naval constructor, Mr. W. H. Gard , who has recently passed away in the 82nd year of his age. He was endowed with a fine constructive imagination, which he was able to express with great artistic force , and his creative power was balanced by a strong under current of practical common - sense.

His forbears came from a shipbuilding family at Dartmouth. One branch set up a very successful shipbuilding yard at Salcombe, Devon, and here they are reputed to have built some of the fastest fruit ships which ever sailed up the Channel. Another branch migrated to Chatham. There, Gard's grandfather obtained the reputation of being the finest stern gallery hand which Chatham ever had and many noble and beautiful ships were built at the Dockyard in those days. Gard's father commenced his career at Chatham Yard, but afterwards became master painter in H.M. Dockyard, Portsmouth. W. H. Gard was born at Gillingham on the 23rd October, 1854, and it may well be said that he had "ship" in his blood.

He entered Chatham Dockyard as a shipwright apprentice in 1869. Chatham was then the leading shipbuilding yard in the country, and the transition from sail to steam, and from wood to iron, was in full progress. In 1860, two wood - built "Ships of the Line" were launched. One of these the Atlas was never completed; but the Rodney tonnage 2,770, displacement 4,375 tons, 500 N.H.P., 2,246 I.H.P. - was "converted to a steamship after her launch." The Screw, Armour - plated, Broadside Ships "Royal Oak and Lord Warden, built of wood, were launched in 1862 and 1865 respectively. Then followed a series of vessels of historic importance, "Screw, Armour - plated, Broadside Ships, Iron launched as follow : -Achilles, 1863 Bellerophon, 1865; Hercules, 1868; and Sultan, 1870. By this time turret ships had appeared, and Chatham launched the Screw, Armour - plated, Turret Ships" Monarch, 1868; Glatton, 1871; and Rupert, 1872. A new series of ships appeared in the Raleigh, Screw Frigate, Iron, sheathed with Wood, "4,780 tons, 5,639 I.H.P., launched in 1873.

This wonderful progress no doubt made a great appeal to the lad's imagination. He passed to the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, in 1875, in company with Edwin Beaton and James Painter, both of whom he outlived by many years. He was enrolled in the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors when formed in 1883, and was very soon called to the Admiralty, where he assisted the late Mr. James Dunn in examining and classifying the merchant ships of the United Kingdom. This was a work both comprehensive and important, and on its basis the Admiralty arranged with owners and builders for the enrolment and fitting out of ships as armed merchant cruisers. He was thus brought into contact with many private shipbuilders and shipowners with whom he formed life - long friendships. E. R. Bate, C.B., R.C.N.C., late Deputy Director of Dockyards who is happily still with us first came into prominence while assistant to Mr. Gard on this work.

In addition to the merchant shipbuilding work, Mr. Gard was soon given the opportunity of showing his skill as a naval designer in the production of the torpedo cruisers of the Archer class. Readers of The Shipbuilder and Marine Engine - builder who would like to make a study of the value of art in ship design might compare a photograph of a ship of the Archer class with a ship of the Fearless class of the same type, designed and built just before Gard took charge of that section.

Sir William White became Director of Naval Construction in 1885, and before long everybody was busy under the Naval Defence Act. White entrusted most of the work of design to Messrs. W. H. Gard ,W. H. Whiting, Edwin Beaton and J. H. Cardwell, all of whom have now passed on. Gard was appointed Assistant Constructor, First - class, in 1887, in succession to Mr. ( afterwards Sir ) W. E. Smith, of belted - cruiser fame, who then gave up designing work to take charge of contract ship building. Gard took charge of the designs of many types of ships, the minor craft including steam, sailing and rowing boats. His contribution to the Naval Defence Act comprised the magnificent cruisers of the Edgar and Royal Arthur classes, which enhanced the prestige of the British Navy wherever they went. At the same time he produced the torpedo depot ship Vulcan. The lines of this ship were regarded as of outstanding merit, and, with some modifications by the late Mr. R. E. Froude, they became the basis of the standard form on which the well-known methodical series of model experiments were carried out at Haslar. To this "form" Froude frequently reverted when considering modifications to sheer drawings for new ships on the request of the Director of Naval Construction. Froude's method was to suitably "snub" the ends of the ship to give the "form" the required coefficient of displacement, adjusting the beam and draught to give the necessary metacentric height. During this design work, the late W. J. Luke came to the front as Gard's principal assistant.

In 1894 Gard went to Chatham as Constructor, moving to Bermuda in 1896 and to Malta as Chief Constructor in 1897. He returned to England in 1902 as Chief Constructor, H.M. Dockyard, Portsmouth, in succession to Mr. J. A. Yates, who is happily still with us and in good health. During his Dockyard service, his work was comprehensive and his experience important, but in every appointment he was constantly preoccupied with the efficiency of design of H.M, ships, communicating his ideas to various officers at the Admiralty and Dockyard as opportunity offered.

While Chief Constructor at Malta, he became very intimate with the late Admiral Lord Fisher, and communicated to him many suggestions for improvement of the types of ships then under construction. Later, when Fisher was Commander-in Chief at Portsmouth, collaboration of a very important character took place, resulting in the preparation of improved designs for several types of ships which Fisher presented to the Admiralty as a direct challenge to the types of vessels then in service or under construction. Although neither of these improved designs, as submitted, proved to be acceptable to the Admiralty, the challenge led to tremendous steps forward in naval construction, which were embodied in the Dreadnought type of battleship, the Invincible type of battle-cruiser, and the modern type of destroyer.

While at Portsmouth the Victorian Order was conferred on Mr. Gard on the 31st October, 1903, to mark His Majesty King Edward VII.'s appreciation of the "prompt and successful action of those chiefly concerned in securing the safety of the Victory when in peril of sinking."

Admiral Fisher became First Sea Lord in 1904. Mr. Gard was at once brought to the Admiralty as additional Chief Constructor and in 1906, on the retirement of the late Mr. Henry Deadman, C.B., he became Assistant Director of Naval Construction. In this capacity, under Sir Philip Watts, he took a large part in the building of the ships of the new types. In 1912, Sir Eustace H. Tennyson d'Eyncourt succeeded Sir Philip as Director of Naval Construction; and during the great activity of that time, as well as in the stress of the war period, he was a tower of strength to Sir Eustace. He was made Deputy Director of Naval Construction in 1917.

He will be principally remembered for his work in connection with the super-Dreadnoughts, including the following classes of battleships:- King George V., 23,000 tons; Iron Duke, 25,000 tons (it is sad to think that none of these great ships now remain in the Navy List): Queen Elizabeth class, 27,500 tons; and Royal Sovereign class, 25,750 tons. In addition to supervising the design of these ships under Sir Eustace d'Eyncourt, Gard's wide experience and great activity of mind were brought to bear on all the problems and difficulties resulting from war experience, and his services in this respect were invaluable, especially after the Battle of Jutland.

During the war period he was also responsible for many novel types of vessels, of which, perhaps, the most notable were monitors of all sizes and descriptions, and the mounting of very heavy guns in such vessels. Reference is made to this work in one particular instance in Admiral Bacon's book entitled "The Dover Patrol." Experimental work for the protection of ships against torpedo attack was carried out on a very important scale at Chatham, and in 1916 Their Lordships of the Admiralty were pleased to note the valuable assistance rendered upon this service by Mr. Gard and to convey an expression of their appreciation accordingly.

One of the many important departures in ship design and construction which Gard developed from the very start, viz., the use of oil fuel in warships, was a special study of his. He devoted immense care to the construction of the oil - fuel bunkers, the ventilation of these bunkers, and all the means for refilling and for using the oil. All these arrangements had, of course, to be made safe against fire. The risks of a great fire which might lead to disaster were fully realised and guarded against; and, during the course of his work, Gard initiated specifications and regulations which have resulted in practically complete security in the carriage and use of oil fuel in H.M. ships.

Another very important contribution which he made to development in ship construction arose from his early interest in, and advocacy of, the application of electric-arc welding to shipbuilding. It was through his interest that the first series of tests of welded specimens was undertaken at Portsmouth, and these experiments undoubtedly laid the foundation for the development of welding in its application to ship structures. An account is given of this work and the use made of welding during the war in Gard's paper on "The Application of Electric and Oxy-acetylene Welding in Shipbuilding and Engineering." * read before the Institution of Naval Architects in April, 1919, and a tribute to his work was paid by Major Caldwell in the issue of The Welding Industry for December, 1935.

In facing all these problems, Gard showed himself to have a remarkable elasticity of mind. Nothing was taboo merely because it was new. He examined all novel proposals placed before him by his assistants with a sympathetic and open mind, and such criticism as he gave was always constructive and helpful in the best sense. This attitude of mind was very sincerely appreciated, especially by the younger men who had the privilege of working with him during the war. They always felt that they could go to him with their troubles and they had many in those difficult days - as a friend, and always be sure of receiving sympathetic help. He enjoyed calling a spade a spade, but beneath the blunt manner which he affected lay a deeply sensitive nature and a great and kindly heart. More than one who served under him can recall with gratitude his kindly manner of taking them by the arm, and, with the words "Don't you worry," relieving them of some of their sense of anxious responsibility.

Sir Eustace d'Eyncourt himself writes as follows : ---

"I should like to add a tribute to the late Mr. W. H. Gard, who was Assistant Director of Naval Construction at the Admiralty when I was appointed Director in 1912. I cannot speak too highly or too gratefully of the help and wise counsel which he gave me from the start. Much of the success of many of the varied classes of warships, of entirely new and unprecedented type, which were designed and built during the Great War, was due to his wide experience, both practical and theoretical, and to the energy and keenness with which he carried out the work and inspired his subordinates. I was indeed sorry when he retired in 1919, two years after being made Deputy Director of Naval Construction, and I shall always retain a grateful recollection of his loyalty and devotion to the Service, and

( Signed ) E. H. T. D'EYNCOURT. 13th February, 1936. "

Mr. W. H. Gard reached the age of 60 years in October, 1914; but, on account of the war, his services were retained until 1919, when he retired, having been awarded the C.B. in 1916. He retained his membership of the Institution of Naval Architects to the end, but gave up most of his other professional interests. During the last few years his health gradually failed, and he passed away at his home at Bearsden, 2 Dunheved Road South, Thornton Heath, Surrey, on the 29th January 1936. The interment took place at Mitcham Road Cemetery, near London, on the 1st February. Mr. W. G. Cole, O.B.E., R.C.N.C. (late Chief Constructor, H.M.Dockyard, Sheerness), attended as representing retired officers, and the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors was represented by Mr. S. E. Boyland, O.B.E., M.Inst.N.A., R.C.N.C. (Assistant Director of Naval Construction)."


 * No. 105, Vol. XX., of The Shipbuilder and Marine Engine - builder, p . 233.

HMS Victory
William was awarded the Victorian Order because he instigated the preservation of HMS Victory, saving it from sinking and being lost for ever.

"While at Portsmouth the Victorian Order was conferred on Mr. Gard on the 31st October, 1903, to mark His Majesty King Edward VII.'s appreciation of the "prompt and successful action of those chiefly concerned in securing the safety of the Victory when in peril of sinking."